With its dual encryption engines, authentication and tamper-detection hierarchy, Maxim said the MAX36025 is meant to be a security manager that can be placed at the access point/data concentrator in a smart grid network to add security to these crucial points of data aggregation.

The MAX36025 employs a tamper-reactive dual AES cryptographic engine architecture that aims to ease the cost effective implementation of multiple cipher channels across compartmentalized system nodes and storage elements.

The MAX36025 includes on-chip non-imprinting memory that incorporates a high-speed, direct-wired clearing function. The memory is constantly complemented in the background to prevent memory imprinting of data. The MAX36025 architecture allows the user to clear selective banks of the memory based upon specified tamper events. In the event of a qualified tamper, the desired bank(s) of memory are rapidly cleared and a negative bias can be applied to erase external memory.

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Is there a standard defined for the Smart Grid/Smart Meter for exchange of Key required for symmetric encryption?
The above hardware does seem to support only symmetric encryption, so as a security solution we still rely on external hardware/software mechanism to exchange the key required for encryption/decryption

Though my knowledge of security systems is not that deep or wide in scope, it is good to read of what are the various security solutions available. Reading such articles like this could be very informative and somehow expand my knowledge about smart grid infrastructure, a topic that I have recently taken an interest in. I hope that more and more articles like this are easy to find. I would also be interested in portable or web-based security systems that I could access anywhere, especially that my work is very mobile. Are there any other resource centers that I could be directed to? Hope to hear your leads! http://www.rosssecuritysolutions.com/